Story:Kings of Strife/Part 4
'Part Four' The tropical night sky looked like shattered glass on that unusually cold evening. Usually the stars blazed brightly in the sky here, lighting up beaches and short hills with celestial light; but tonight, the stars were nowhere to be found. There was only darkness. "East and south patrol side secure," rang a soldier through his communication link in his ear. Lieutenant Titon of the Nneonian Army was confirming that his lookout on the east side of the warehouse was clear. "Repeat, patrol side is secure. Report." His command rang through the ears of the entire 5 man squad, signifying that they were to give their own sides to the status. So next in line came Sergeant Fifero. "North side is secure. No IRs detected. Area is clear." Shuffling could be heard from his mic until he settled down, presumably taking his position on the north wall of the expansive, isolated warehouse, ready to infiltrate. With him was Private Malenpaa and Commander Hahto, to provide scout information and defend him as he extracted the objective. "Report." Lieutenant Vikcent Hyusei, third in command, switched on his own mouthpiece. He surveyed his domain one quick time before giving his status. "Vertical sector and west side secure. All areas accounted for." He shifted his rifle in his hands. The navy blue Sorachi S-III assault rifle was somewhat recent, very reliable, and quite versatile. Although lightweight in his hands, it had a good enough chassis to not be too damaged with recoil or physical attacks. He reloaded the weapon and clicked back the ready slide just to be sure. "Cover weapon functional. All vertical areas patrolled. Report concluded." A second went by, and then a moment, and another microphone clicked, signaling an entrance into the private chat channel. "All sectors clear, then,” Sergeant Fifero growled. “Operation begin; Private and Commander, take point. Proceed.” His microphone clicked off and Sergeant Fifero burst through the warehouse's old back door. From here, Vik lost visual sight of the Sergeant, so he stood up from his position on his knees and took his point on the roof of the objective. He made his first standpoint at the west direction of the warehouse. He knelt down at the banister of the roof and removed the tripod legs from his chest strap, clipping it to his rifle and leaning it on the banister's wall. Not glaring down the sights just yet, he held close watch over the darkened city streets. It was four in the morning in the outskirt slums of Nures City, Nneoh. A large island country south of the Porthian continent, Nneoh sat only 50 miles from the closest shore of Inusia. Down in the semi-tropical continent, the air outside was chilly, but rarely freezing. It was the dead of winter, at the peak of the cold temperature in Nures. Further down in Nneoh, near the mountains, it was mostly cold year-round, but up in the north - in Nures City, for example - the temperature didn't reach down to be very cold, and proximity near the ocean kept the air somewhat humid. Fortunately, the humidity was absent tonight, something Vik usually would take notice of because it meant he wouldn't be sweating as much as usual. But not tonight - he was too focused on his mission. All that mattered was the mission, especially this one. This one could impact all of Nneoh, perhaps the entire world if the threat was too advanced. Lieutenant Hyusei hoped it wouldn't come to that. Lieutenant Vikcent Hyusei's mission, and that of the Zettai Herohji squad, was to investigate a security leak discovered out of Ouroboros. Ouroboros – the Society of Serpents. The organization's name was one met with both infamy and ignorance. Nobody knew exactly who they were or what they do, or have done, except for the highest of the high in government and the lowest of the low in the ears of the city streets. Their motif and namesake was a snake eating its own tail - and, keeping up with its theme, it destroyed its own evidence. The few members captured from their organization was always murdered or blundered into "accidentally" dying before they could be interrogated for anything useful. Leads that point towards further information on them were always lost at the last second or botched up by an agent of theirs implanted into various police units or governments spots, who themselves were killed shortly after, or even committed suicide. But not this time. It was four in the morning in the outskirt slums of Nures City, and the Herohji squad had finally found a lead on Ouroboros. Herohji squad was initially formulated for the sole purpose of government security - stop those accused of treason, end terrorist threats before they became fully formulated, and investigate/eliminate conspirator suspects. They were one of four similar black ops squads, all of which were hand-selected from the best of Nneonian military and operatives and kept top-secret. In other words, they and all other special ops squads were simply government tools, hound dogs meant to take out threats. Tonight, or rather that morning, they had finally locked onto a suspicious warehouse that wasn't documented in the city. After further investigation and observation, it was associated with and connected to various shadowy criminals. Then it was decided that they would move into their position, only to find before-hand - from a suspicious leak - that it contained stolen, advanced technology. After Technical Specialist Sergeant Fifero hacked inside a few information networks, it was revealed to have information on what could be Ouroboros. Despite the disputable source of the information and the high chance of a trap, Herohji squad decided to investigate the location. Vik's ear piece clicked. A deep voice resounded through it; he recognized it as Lieutenant Titon, who was taking patrol on the east and south sectors of the warehouse opposite Vik's. Titon, a man who was shorter than Vik yet more physically built, displayed a calm and serious attitude when it came to his work. Never had Vik seen him lose his composure. "First patrol made, doubling back. Status, Lieutenant?" No names were ever used in Herohji missions, lest their communication channel be intercepted or analyzed and members be identified. They all knew each other's names, of course, but were prohibited to state them in any communication that could be intercepted. Vik scanned the area again before gathering up his gun, removing the tripod, and standing up. "West overwatch reporting nothing. Moving on to north si- What was that?" Vik gasped. While moving to his new position, he caught a glint of light in his peripheral vision. He studied the area again with renewed interest after looking up to the sky. The moon was new that night, and thus was not in the sky - so where could the light have come from? His ear piece clicked again, bringing him back to reality. "What was what, Lieutenant?" This time Commander Hahto's grave voice chimed through the microphone. The old Commander was a very serious man with few sentiments and absolutely no hesitations when he went about his missions. He had been in the Nneonian military since before it was legal for him to do so. Nationalism was basically his middle name. Vik stood in place for a moment before prying his eyes away and returning to his post, shaking his head at himself. His thumb idly hit the switch in the palm of his glove, activating his microphone. "Nothing, sir. Human error. Continuing mission." "..." Vik cringed as he physically felt the moment of silent criticism from all members of the team. Incompetence was not taken well with Herohji squad, but now was not the time to discuss it. The Commander cleared his throat. "Very well, soldier. Continue mission." Vik did as he was told and continued his vigil. Various status updates and quick commands were told through his microphone to the rest of the squad. As he continued to wander around the roof of the warehouse, looking around the pitch black darkness, he couldn't think very long on anything but the glint of light he saw. Where could it possibly have come from? How did it disappear so fast? What was it? Vik shook his head slightly and mentally reached for his focus. Being distracted on such a mission was more incompetence, and he could not allow such a thing to happen. My country needs me. The voice of Sergeant Fifero resounded through his ears. "98 percent... 99 percent... 100 percent completed! Data extraction complete." Fifero was a small man, the thinnest and least intimidating of the entire squad, but more than made up for it with his sarcastic mouth and technical genius. It was he that invented some of the most revolutionary technology in use by the Nneonian military, and such a mind was wasted on the usual scientist corps. He was a natural shoe-in for the prestigious Herohji squad. Now, his objective completed, he gave command to the squad as they all mentally breathed a sigh of relief. "All units, move into retreat formation. Exiting software...return in thr-Gah! Hhhrr..." A sickening, inhuman noise crackled through Fifero's microphone for a moment before it was terminated. A loud silence rang through Vik's ears. He looked up from his post and quickly pressed his communication button, and apparently so did the rest of the squad. After a moment of confusion, Commander Hahto managed to quiet the team down and restore order. "Commander here. Investigating scene... Oh Tiamat the blessed. Damn... damn. Blood outside of extraction sector. Readying weapon. Private! With me. Standby..." Private Malenpaa was the newest member of the squad, and the loudest when off duty. On a mission, however, he was always stone quiet and his aim was shaky. The Commander kept him by his side and would likely continue to do so until he had gotten over his nerves in a few more objectives. Meanwhile, Vik and Lieutenant Titon didn't move in their spots, both transfixed by the scene going through their headsets. "Breaking and entering." A moment afterwards, the sound of a door breaking down could be heard. The Commander continued his whispered reports. "Seems clear... Scouting... Oh. Private... stay at the door." Vik took his rifle in his hands, checked its ammunition cartridge one more time and making absolutely sure the safety was off, and let out a rope down the wall of the warehouse. From the sounds of it, his team could use him. He started rappelling down the three-story building. As he climbed, the voice of Commander Hahto continued. "Death confirmed. Tech specialist is dead, I repeat, tech specialist is dead. What a day for Nneoh... The body has a large cut on the neck. And there are blunt wounds, as well... What?!” A short gunshot rang through the night, likely reflexive from the Commander. “What was th-" Hahto's communications abruptly stopped. Vik landed on the floor at last, and started running towards the entrance his team took during the mission. On his way, he noticed Titon in front of him, already entering the building with his rifle in hand. Vik turned on his comms module. "Commander! Private! What is happening?!" To Vik's relief, the Commander's voice rang through once again to reply, although it sounded strained and far away. "The...The Private is dead..." He gave a wet sounding cough. Titon cringed. "You two... run... Leave here, he's... he's a demon… Live... For Nneoh... Aah!" The Commander's microphone turned off for the last time. Titon stopped in his tracks, and Vik ran into his back. The two looked at each other for a moment and nervously fingered their guns. They were soldiers, special operations warriors born and bred to fight fearlessly for their country… But so was their Commander. He had never ran from a fight and showed nothing but scorn towards cowards. For him to advise his teammates to retreat… A footstep was heard by the both of them, and their heads shot forward to look at a doorway in front of them. A dim light flickered further inside of it, and a tall black shadow could be seen standing in it, holding what seemed to be a huge ax in one hand and a large hammer in the other. A liquid, certainly blood, dripped onto the floor from the blades of the ax. The two jumped backwards, narrowly dodging a sudden swipe of the figure's gargantuan hatchet. Vik faltered backwards onto a wall and sank down in fear. He watched, completely helplessly, as Titon shot the tall man. The bullet hit its mark in his chest, but it didn't seem to faze the man at all. He swung his ax at Titon but was blocked by his rifle; the hit visibly shook the Lieutenant, and he went to a knee. Vik continued to watch with open eyes, frozen with fear. He grabbed his rifle with both hands and struggled to raise it towards the figure, but apparently Malenpaa had posthumously given him the shakes. In the darkness, the other two quickly confronted. From what Vik saw, Titon was able to get the time and position to shoot at the man three more times, but not once did it affect his attacks at all or even cause the tall, black figure to miss a step. Finally, Titon lifted his rifle to block another downward slice with the assailant's hammer, but mistook the power of the attack. His rifle was smashed in two before his eyes with the sheer power of the attack. As he dropped the two useless halves and stepped back, unable to move from awe, the figure wasted no time in finishing off the defeated Lieutenant. His next attack with his ax was swift and efficient, and Titon's bisected torso fell to the ground with a splash. Although he couldn't will himself to move, Vik managed to keep his mouth shut. He was not disgusted by the death, as he had somewhat used to gory killing, but the sheer fact that his entire squad was now dead was shell-shocking. After the kill, the black figure stood in his spot, staring at the body's two halves for a second and making no noise. He looked around the dark room twice, almost seeming to stare at the spot Vik was hidden. Immediately afterwards, he turned his back and continued to look at Titon’s dead body. The enemy’s back was exposed; Vik could easily shoot, just once, and from there he would likely kill this enemy. It would be so simple. Just one pull of the trigger. Just one twitch of his finger. As easy as it would have been… Vik could not move. His body shook, tears threatened to fall from his eyes, he was biting his lip, but his fingers would not move. Vik was almost sure that both of them could hear his heart pounding in the now deathly silent chamber of the warehouse. Yet the man didn't pursue him; he simply put his hammer on the floor and reached his hand into what must have been a pocket. He pulled out a small piece of technology, which Vik later learned to be the information drive that Fifero extracted. The man dropped the drive on the floor and stomped on it, reducing it to mere dust. He then gathered up his hammer and swiftly left without a word. The opportunity had passed. Vik sat where he was, staring at Titon's body. He noticed that his hands were shaking uncontrollably and that he was starting to cry. Without warning he got on his knees and threw up. He couldn't tell if he was disgusted with his situation or with himself. When he finished vomiting, he moved himself away from the puddle on the floor and leaned back on the wall. He removed his headset and threw it down at his feet before putting his face in his hands. They smelled like vomit and told him that the deaths were was all his fault. That light he saw earlier, he reasoned, was most likely the mystery assailant making his way to the warehouse. Thanks to his own incompetence, Nneoh lost not only four good men, but extremely useful information that could have saved lives. All of it, six feet under the ground. He started thinking about how the entire world would be better off if he died with them when he heard the distinct sound of his comm link turning on. With morbid curiosity, he looked up from his reverie and put the headset to his ears. Could it be…? “Headquarters to Herohji. Repeat, headquarters to Herohji. At this time, you should be at the designated extraction spot, yet you have failed to arrive. Is there a delay? Have you met problems?” No, it couldn’t have been. Vik was a fool to think any of his comrades were still alive. He tossed his headset back on the floor and stared directly at the ceiling above him, still too shocked to really move. He was a fool to hope that the focused, familiar chatter of his teammates would greet him from the headset. Reality seemed to warp around his shuddering form, and the last thing he remembered were the distant probes from the extraction squad. “Herohji squad, report. Repeat… Herohji squad…” ***** “How do you like them?” Maria paused a bit before replying. “They’re easy to move in, and aesthetically pleasing.” “That’s not what I meant.” Crono and Maria, now exiting a clothing store, began to walk towards the travel district of Morshia City. They were taking the long way so as to avoid any possible sightings by the Inusian police. For Silverius, wounded with faded blood on his clothes, and healing with his own amateur stitching, another fight at this point would most surely end in death. So now he walked Maria to the north side of the city with the hood of his jacket raised halfway on his head, and Maria wore a completely new set of clothes. “Do you like them? What’s your opinion on your new threads?” “I like them… I guess?” Maria idly pulled at the ends of her skirt and examined her calve-high black boots. No longer did she have to wear Crono’s clothes now that he had bought her this ensemble. The boots were worn over a light gray pair of tights, which, matching with her white and blue skirt, left a slight sliver of her upper leg skin visible. The skirt was met with a shirt that had the same color and pattern, and a dark lavender cloak threatened to cover the entire thing. It wasn’t very meaningful to her, not in the slightest, so in truth she had no opinion on the clothes. They existed and they kept her much warmer than before. That was all there was. Crono seemed to sense that she had nothing to say and pressed the issue no further. It wasn’t hard to relish in the silence as they walked through the populous city, not when he had so much to think about. ‘The Crimson Death. The Great Datalog, way up north, in Norzaven. Maria Zorphan. Glowing golden eyes.’ The same sensations danced through the mercenary’s head over and over again, offering no respite from the pain he felt in his chest wound. Silverius looked over his shoulder often as the two navigated through the dense streets of Morshia, often passing under haphazard squares with trees bursting upward or corners filled with people milling about. He looked around to make sure they weren’t followed by anyone in a green cloak, or a man in a red coat, or even the Inusian authorities in their navy blue mantles… but he wasn’t as focused as he should have been. He couldn’t stop himself from glancing at Maria’s silhouette often. There was no explanation for what happened in Troia. Soon after they escaped, the two agreed not to speak about what had happened, and Silverius waved the attack away with an explanation that the Crimson Death was one of the hired swords going after him. But as for Maria, she wished not to speak of her own actions, and Silverius respected her wishes. Still, he couldn’t really believe what he saw, or how it made him feel. He could have sworn he felt the Crystal at his waist pulse with energy, a sensation that had started when Maria sported her odd golden eyes. Many a time Silverius had rubbed his hand over the pouch where the artifact was hidden. Could it be that this jewel was the source of all this? There were no answers for any of it, but that was the most plausible explanation he could come up with. What exactly was the Crystal? What made it so special that multiple organizations would kill to have it? That was why they were going to the Great Datalog: for answers. “Where are we going, sir Crono?” Maria asked. The two had been walking for a good while, and the northern Inusian coastline was starting to be visible, in the horizon. The airport was just a few streets ahead. 300 miles past the Frogizi Channel and they would be in Norzaven, one step closer to answers. Silverius glanced at her once again out of the shadow of his hood. “To Norzaven. The Great Datalog. There’s some things I need to research.” Maria nodded in satisfaction at that answer. “That sounds interesting. What is it like over there?” “It’s in the north, so it’s a lot colder. That’s why I bought you a cloak of your own.” Silverius himself had simply bought a longer black jacket for himself. “Most of the northern country is snowy, but the city we’re going to is near the coast of the southern continent and is a bit more moderate. They say Sumfate City is one of the prettiest cities, and there’s a lot of places to shop there, too.” He let himself smile. “Maybe I can take you shopping there, if we have time?” Maria smiled as well, but hers was genuine. “That sounds fun! The city does, at least. I don’t think I really have an interest in shopping. But it wasn’t so bad.” She looked around with a smile, to the dilapidated city buildings lining every street, to the time-stained large churches whose spires rose higher into the otherwise skyscraper-painted skyline, to the garbage littered on the ground and the citizens who stepped over it. “Could it be prettier than this? Have you been there before, sir Crono?” The mercenary nodded. “I have. I’ve been all over the world.” “I really do hope we get to see it all,” Maria said with a sigh. The two of them walked nonchalantly into the tall airport harbor, blending in with the large crowd of people coming and going to and from the multitude of airships in the city. “The world is so beautiful,” she whispered to herself. “Why would anyone want to destroy it?” Within an hour, the two were in their small-sized room as the airship’s engines began to groan and the wooden floor beneath them began to rumble with its power. It had been easy to get onto the overnight-trip; Silverius had a ID card, of course, and any concerns about Maria’s lack of identification was quelled with a little extra money to the clerk of the ticket desk. When they arrived at the small cabin they would be spending the night in, Silverius had immediately crashed onto the only bed in the room and gingerly removed his jacket. Sighing, he began to studiously remove his self-applied bandages and stitch up his chest wound, which had opened slightly during their travels. Maria stood at the door of the cabin and watched the small window to the outside world as the ship launched from its hangar. The colors of the sky were marvelous and entrancing to her, and once the airship finally lurched into motion and the air, she watched with awe as the city’s skyline rapidly retreated from view. “What, have you never flown on an airship before?” Silverius watched Maria stare with wonder at the outside. She shook her head and looked at him with a curious expression. “Is that odd, sir Crono?” Silverius looked away after meeting her eyes and cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, I think. I travel a lot, but not everyone gets the chance to do that, I guess. I figure most people have done it once or twice, at least.” “I see. Well then, thank you, Mister Crono.” “Huh? …For what?” “For giving me this chance to see such beautiful sights.” Maria had, by now, turned and returned to looking out the window of their cabin. Although it wasn’t exactly accomplished in a way she would have wanted, Maria was glad that the two of them were driven from Troia and she was able to travel more with Crono. She still had her intrinsic doubts with him, and the world around her, but it was peaceful moments like these – where she saw the beauty of her environment and felt gratitude to her savior for showing her such things – that Maria knew she would always cherish these memories she was creating. And even if Crono Silverius was not a perfect man, even if he called himself a heartless killer, she knew he was more than that. ‘He fought to save me. Twice he’s saved my life, and I’ve saved his.’ The mercenary spent a silent moment looking after her. His face heated up and his ears felt hot. “…Don’t worry about it,” he muttered after a moment. He cleared his throat again. “We’ll be in the air until tomorrow morning, pretty much. It’ll be much better on your stomach if you get some sleep.” In response to this, Maria glanced at him with slightly parted lips. The dark bags under his eyes, she realized for the first time, dark and were glaringly obvious. She ignored his words and began to think. It had been two days since she was found by Silverius, and she hadn’t seen him close his eyes yet. Meanwhile, the fatigue of the day’s travel weighed heavy upon her own eyelids. Imagining the depths of his own exhaustion gave her a deep feeling of bewilderment. “Do you not sleep often, sir Crono?” The question was apparently personal, and Silverius turned away and clumsily began to reapply his bandages. “No, I don’t. Gives me too much time to think about things I don’t want to think about. Nightmares and stuff.” She didn’t know what to say to this, and another few minutes of silence penetrated the small cabin. Eventually Silverius coughed and started tinkering with his gunblade. “Why don’t you go outside and sit on the deck? The view will be much better up there. I’ve got to take a shower and clean my wounds.” Maria hesitated. “Upstairs? Is that allowed?” She thought for a moment more. “Am I bothering you by being here, sir Crono?” “No, it’s not like that. I just… think we should both get some alone time.” Again she hesitated. Something told her, quietly and softly, that leaving him now was the wrong choice. His eyes conveyed an emotion to her that was unfamiliar yet clear, a glimpse of pain in the residual darkness – a yearning for help. But he said he wanted to be alone, and the view outside was calling to her… Her decision reluctantly made, Maria nodded and stood, drawing her cloak tight around her shoulders. When she stood near the door of the cabin, her hand on the knob, she paused. “If you don’t want to tell me what’s wrong with you, Mister Crono, that’s fine with me,” she reinstated. Silverius flinched. “I’ll still be grateful for everything you’ve done for me. I promise.” “There’s nothing wrong with me. And even if there was… It’s not like I don’t want to tell you,” he stammered. “I… I can’t. I’m sorry.” An awkward pause ensued. “I understand,” she said. She started out the room but poked her head back in with one final thought. “You’re not a bad man, sir Crono. It’s okay to be happy.” He didn’t move, didn’t look back. She closed the door behind her. As she walked down the residential hallway and started up the stairs to the upper wooden deck of the small commuting airship, Maria remembered once again the odd sensation of the golden eyes taking her over, and it sent a chill down her spine. The chill attacked her again, and she realized it was likely because of the night’s chill. She pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders and sighed, her breath manifesting and evaporating quickly. Next she realized that the upper deck was near deserted, although she saw a couple crew members going about their business and performing various tasks about the ship. Finally came the revelation that her timing was uncannily perfect – the sun was setting at this very moment, and the height of the airship in the sky framed the phenomenon to a beautiful degree. It was all she had not to audibly gasp upon seeing the multi-colored clouds and horizons about the air. For the first time in her scarce memory, Maria’s mind was completely clear. Some heavenly genius had painted the celestial canvas an awe-inspiring alchemy of reds, purples, blues, and pinks. The colors were like nothing she had ever seen before, surpassing even the expansive pallette of autumn’s falling leaves, and Maria could never imagine seeing anything with more natural beauty. She fell in love instantly with the peace and silence she found around her. The sublime pulled her eyes into a sad smile as she knew this moment would eventually fade away. Before long, the symphony of hues had disappeared. Night and all of its darkness took over completely, but soon another marvel came to dance upon the stars. No sooner had the moon began to illuminate the sky did a sheening cerulean rocket float through the dusk. It caught Maria’s fleeting attention mere moments before it disappeared, leaving her to wonder if it was an illusion or not. It took seconds for another such phenomenon to streak across the sky, then another and another. They began to smear together in a sort of celestial shower. Maria was captivated as never before. The light from the brilliant comet shower began to reflect off the waxed airship deck, drawing her amazed attention back and forth. The sky, as she saw it, was an endless fountain of miracles, one that she could marvel at no matter how incomprehensible and dangerous her life would become. This was the kind of beauty that she knew she loved, the kind that she unconsciously yearned for, and suddenly everything seemed petty in perspective. She was grateful for what Silverius had done for her, and what she had thought existed in his heart – that secret darkness, that tightly held anguish – shifted from being dark to being secretly beautiful. The falling stars harkened Maria to the heart that she could see so clearly in Silverius’ eyes, and just as the night was illuminated with its bare colors, she knew his emotions were bright and beautiful. He held them inside in fears of the outside world, she realized; it wasn’t that the injustices and violence of society didn’t bother him, but rather that he had grown accustomed and hard to them. Silverius, and likely all others of pure hearts, were blank night skies, and their true feelings were stars just waiting to illuminate them. She wanted to bring this out for him; for all people; and to make the world as gorgeous as the environment making it up. Tears began to fall from her eyes, but not because of any particular sorrow. If anything, it was the exact opposite. Unconsciously, she found herself having the same lingering question that she did hours earlier; ‘Why would anyone want to destroy a world as beautiful as this one?’   ***** A cold breeze cut through the night sky, bringing with it a shower of brisk, merciless rain. Far off in the north sky, azure lights cut through the night, just barely visible behind formations of smoky clouds and a pelt of loud rain. The air in Shorica was stormy and full of smoke, but the brightness of the comet shower was just vivid enough to force its visibility. ‘Azuleh’s Comet,’ the Crimson Death thought as he watched the gallery of lights in the far north. ‘A natural show that only occurs once every seventeen years.’ The lights in the sky were for once more than stars, and for once they brought back memory and rational thought to Gin Taoris’ mind. The last time he saw Azuleh’s Comet Shower was seventeen years ago, the night of the infamous plague that came upon his home nation of Shimura when he was only 23. That was the same night everyone Taoris had ever known and loved had perished, and was the same night he became plagued with his immortality – his eternal curse. ‘Right on time,’ he muttered to himself in his head as he pulled his ragged red cloak further over his head. It was doing well in keeping the rain off his face. ‘I’m beginning to think this comet shower is a harbinger of bad news.’ First the plague had changed his life forever, and now someone had revealed that perhaps Taoris was not so immortal after all. He couldn’t get that swordsman and his raven-haired female companion out of his head even now, almost a full day after the events in Troia. Shortly after the two fled, the weapons impaled in Taoris’ body had vanished into thin air, but the pain in his wounds still remained. The full day it took for him to recover was the most agony he had ever felt in his life, but his body was tenacious enough to force him to consciously survive the normally lethal injuries. He had spent the entire day screaming in pain amongst ash, burnt buildings, and charred skeletons. When the Shorican scouts came to the village to investigate the fire, slaughtering them had barely helped relieve Taoris’ stress at all. Now Taoris was on top of the tower he had initially broken into to perform reconnaissance, and again he was alone and surrounded by corpses. The wounds had healed perfectly and his strength had returned, but Taoris could still feel the pain that had resonated through his body. Despite himself, he had been shaking in fear all night. Fear. ‘I haven’t felt fear in seventeen years.’ Something told him those wounds were only a step away from actually killing him, and that girl could have easily finished the job had the swordsman not spoken. ‘When she spoke, I felt my entire body quiver… and she had glowing golden eyes.’ Never in all his years of wandering had Taoris ever seen or felt such a sensation. What exactly could have caused such a transformation in the otherwise innocent and weak woman? The swordsman was interesting and had potential, but as of now he was still weak, only marginally stronger than the average mercenary. How had the girl’s power level jumped from civilian level to one that eclipsed even his strength? After hours of solitary thought, Taoris had only one answer: the Crystal. ‘No wonder the Inusians want it back so badly,’ he reasoned. ‘If such an object could bring that much power to someone, it could be disastrous. And if it boosted the power of that mercenary…’ Fear continued to bubble up beneath Taoris’ chest, but as the rain fell down around him, he found himself grinning with an almost deranged intensity. He was afraid of the unfamiliar pain… but he was excited, at the same time. Imagining the swordsman taking full advantage of the Crystal, fighting against Taoris at his full strength… He hadn’t experienced such an intense fight in more than a decade. ‘And then, if that Crystal has the power to end my curse…’ Conclusively, Taoris stood and draped his soaking wet red coat over his shoulders. “The swordsman isn’t ready yet,” he said aloud to the bloody cadavers sharing the space of the stone tower’s roof with him. “I’ll let him grow and develop his power with the Crystal for a little bit longer. Then, when he’s nice and ripe… Hmhmhm. How juicy that fight will be… How beautifully scarlet his blood will be!” He laughed darkly and picked up his two bloody greatswords lying at his side. "I’ll need some way to pass the time until he’s ready… And I’ll need to cripple the Inusians searching for the Crystal. He can’t lose it just yet.” Another dark laugh emerged from Taoris as he started to walk towards the edge of the tower. “Yes, I think making my way to the east coast will suffice, for now…” He stopped at the edge of the tower’s roofing and strapped his two blades to his thick brown belt. As another light from Azuleh’s Comet streaked across the north sky, he heard the voice of the girl with golden eyes commanding him once again, and every nerve in Taoris’ body shook. “If I ever see you again, I will annihilate you.” Despite the unyielding torrent of rain falling about him, the fire within the Crimson Death’s breast refused to die down. As he jumped from the roof of the tower and into the darkness of the forest all around him, Taoris whispered once more into the night with dark glee painted all over his face. “Yes… That annihilation is just what I want.” ...End of Part Four. <- Previous Page | Main Page | Next Page ->